Liturgy Pacific is the on-line presence of Richard Geoffrey Leggett, Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver and Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. Here you will find sermons, comments on current Anglican and Lutheran affairs and reflections on the need for progressive orthodox Christians to re-claim our place on the theological stage.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Other than the hymns and proper prayers, the Ordo for Pentecost 3 is the same as Pentecost 2. I have made a change in how the Affirmation of Faith is proclaimed, changing it from a 'question-answer' to a more declarative proclamation of trinitarian faith.

17.8
[The] word of the Lord came to [Elijah the prophet], saying, 9 “Go now
to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a
widow there to feed you.” 10
So he set out and went to Zarephath. When
he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called
to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he
called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God
lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil
in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and
prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be
afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and
bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God
of Israel:The jar of meal will not be
emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends
rain on the earth.” 15 She
went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate
for many days. 16 The jar of
meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of
the Lord
that he spoke by Elijah.

17
After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness
was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 She then said to Elijah, “What
have you against me, O man of God? You
have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my
son!” 19 But he said to her,
“Give me your son.” He took him from her
bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him
on his own bed. 20 He cried
out to the Lord,
“O Lord
my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying,
by killing her son?” 21 Then
he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God,
let this child’s life come into him again.” 22 The Lord listened to the voice of
Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child, brought
him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother;
then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” 24 So the woman said to Elijah,
“Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your
mouth is truth.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the
church.

Thanks
be to God.

The
Psalm of the Day

Psalm 146 with Refrain from Songs for the
Holy One

Refrain (twice):Our
God keeps faith for ever.Hallelujah!

1 Hallelujah! *

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2I
will praise the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

3 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any
child of earth, *

for there is no help in them.

4When
they breathe their last, they return to earth, *

and in that day their thoughts perish.

Refrain:Our God keeps faith for
ever.Hallelujah!

5 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob
for their help! *

For their hope is in the Lord their
God,

6who
made heaven and earth, the seas,

and
all that is in them; *

who keeps promises for ever;

7 who gives justice to those who are
oppressed, *

food to those who hunger

and sets the prisoners free.

8The
Lord opens the eyes of the blind! *

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down

and loves the righteous.

Refrain:Our God keeps faith for
ever.Hallelujah!

9 The Lord cares for the stranger *

and sustains the orphan and widow,

but frustrates the way of the
wicked.

10The
Lord shall reign for ever, *

your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

Hallelujah!

Refrain:Our God keeps faith for
ever.Hallelujah!

The
Second Reading

A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians
(1.11-24).

1.11
For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed
by me is not of human origin; 12 for I did not receive it from a
human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of
Jesus Christ.

13
You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God
and was trying to destroy it. 14
I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was
far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when God, who had set me
apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16
to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did
not confer with any human being, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to
those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia,
and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

18
Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with
him fifteen days; 19 but I did not see any other apostle except
James the Lord’s brother. 20
In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!21 Then I went into the regions of
Syria and Cilicia, 22 and I was still unknown by sight to the
churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23 they only heard it said,
“The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once
tried to destroy.” 24 And
they glorified God because of me.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the
church.

Thanks
be to God.

Hymn
before the Gospel

‘Revive Thy Work, O Lord’Common Praise 454 vv. 1, 2, 3

The
Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And
also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke (7.11-17).

Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

7.11
Soon afterwards [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and
a large crowd went with him.12
As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried
out. He was his mother’s only son, and
she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had
compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came forward and touched
the bier, and the bearers stood still. And
he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to
speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and
they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has
looked favourably on his people!” 17
This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

1
But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever
touch them.2 In the eyes of
the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a
disaster, 3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but
they are at peace.4 For
though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of
immortality.5 Having been
disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and
found them worthy of himself; 6 like gold in the furnace he tried
them,

and like a sacrificial burnt
offering he accepted them.7
In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks
through the stubble.8 They
will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them
forever.9 Those who trust in
him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to
the Church.

Thanks be to God.

The Psalm

‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’Common Praise #519

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ according to John (14.1-7).

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

1
[Jesus said to his disciples,] “Do not let your hearts be troubled.Believe in God, believe also in me.2 In my Father’s house there are
many dwelling places.If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am,
there you may be also.4 And
you know the way to the place where I am going.”5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do
not know where you are going.How can we
know the way?”6 Jesus said
to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.No one comes to the Father except through
me.7 If you know me, you
will know my Father also.From now on
you do know him and have seen him.”

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Family Reflections

Homily

The Apostles’ Creed

The Deacon invites those who wish
to share in the recitation of the Creed.

I believe in God,

the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,

God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.Amen.

The Prayers of the Community

The Litany

Trusting in God’s compassion, let
us offer our prayers, saying, ‘God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your
wings.’ God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

God of grace and glory, we thank
you for Walter, who was so near and dear to us, and who has now been taken from
us.God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

We thank you for the friendship he
gave and for the strength and peace he brought.God our refuge, hide us under the
shadow of your wings.

We thank you for the love he
offered and received while he was with us on earth.God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

We pray that nothing good in
Walter’s life will be lost, but will be of benefit to the world; that all that
was important to him will be respected by those who follow; and that everything
in which he was great will continue to mean much to us now that he is dead.God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

We ask that he may go on living in
his family and friends; in their hearts and minds, in their courage and their
consciences.God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

We ask you that we who were close
to him may now, because of his death, be even closer to each other, and that we
may, in peace and friendship here on earth, always be deeply conscious of your
promise to be faithful to us in death.God our refuge, hide us under the
shadow of your wings.

We pray for ourselves, who are
severely tested by this death, that we do not try to minimize this loss, or
seek refuge from it in words alone, and also that we do not brood over it so
that it overwhelms us and isolates us from others.God our refuge, hide us under the shadow of your wings.

May God grant us courage and
confidence in the new life of Christ.We
ask this in the name of the risen Lord.Amen.

The Exchange of the
Peace

May the peace of the risen Christ
be with you all.

And also with you.

The Holy Communion

Hymn of Preparation

‘Amazing Grace’Common Praise #352

The Prayer over the
Gifts

Let us pray.

God of mercy,

accept the worship we offer this day.

Increase, we pray, our faith,

deepen our hope,

and confirm us in your eternal love.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our
God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, gracious God,
creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ
our Lord, whose victorious rising from the dead has given to us the hope of
resurrection and the promised of eternal life.Therefore with angels and archangels and all who have served you in
every age, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are
full of your glory.Hosanna in the
highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.

God of our weary years, God of our
silent tears, you have brought us this far along the way.In times of bitterness you did not abandon
us, but guided us into the path of love and light.In every age you sent prophets to make known
your loving will for all humanity.The
cry of the poor has become your own cry; our hunger and thirst for justice is
your own desire.In the fullness of
time, you sent your chosen servant to preach good news to the afflicted, to
break bread with the outcast and despised, and to ransom those in bondage to
prejudice and sin.

In the night in which he was
betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to
his disciples, saying:Take and eat;
this is my body, given for you.Do this
for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the
cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying:This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this
bread and drink from this cup we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.Christ
has died.Christ is risen.Christ will come again.

Remembering, therefore, his death
and resurrection, we await the day when Jesus shall return to free all the
earth from the bonds of slavery and death.Come, Lord Jesus!

Send your Holy Spirit, our
advocate, to fill the hearts of all who share this bread and cup with courage
and wisdom to pursue love and justice in all the world.Come, Spirit of freedom!

Join our prayers and praise with
your prophets and martyrs of every age, that, rejoicing in the hope of the
resurrection, we might live in the freedom and hope of your Son.Through him, with him, in him, in the unity
of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, almighty Father, now and
forever.Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Saviour Christ has
taught us,

we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever.Amen.

The Breaking of the
Bread

This is the bread which has come
down from heaven.

Those who eat this bread will live for ever.

These are the gifts of God for the
people of God.

Thanks be to God.

The Communion of the
Community

The Sending Forth of the Community

The Prayer after
Communion

Let us pray.

God of love,

you have fed us at the table of your kingdom.

Teach us to trust, without fear,

in your eternal goodness and mercy.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.Amen.

The Commendation Hymn

‘We Walk by Faith, and Not by
Sight’Common Praise #244

The Commendation

Into your hands, O merciful
Saviour,

we commend your servant Walter.

Acknowledge, we pray, a sheep of
your own fold,

a lamb of your own flock,

a sinner of your own redeeming.

Receive him into the arms of your
mercy,

into the blessed rest of
everlasting peace,

and into the glorious company of
the saints in light.Amen.

The Committal Hymn

During the singing of the Hymn the
Family and Community join in processing to the Memorial Garden for the
committal of ashes.

‘Alleluia!The Strife Is O’er’Common Praise #212

The Committal

Everyone the Father gives me will
come to me; I will never turn away anyone who believes in me.

The God who raised Jesus Christ
from the dead will also give new life to our mortal bodies through the
indwelling Spirit.

In sure and certain hope of the
resurrection to eternal life

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

we commend to almighty God our
brother Walter,

and we commit his remains to their
resting place;

earth to earth, ashes to ashes,
dust to dust.

the bless him and keep him,

the Lord make his face to shine
upon him

and be gracious to him,

the Lord lift up his countenance
upon him

and give him peace.Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, with
whom still live the spirits of those who die in the Lord, and with whom the
souls of the faithful are in joy and felicity:we give you heartfelt thanks for the good examples of all your servants,
who having finished their course in faith, now find rest and refreshment.May we, with all who have died in the true
faith of your holy name, have perfect fulfilment and bliss in your eternal and
everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

Rest eternal grant to him, O Lord.

And let light perpetual shine upon him.

May his soul, and the souls of all
the departed,

through the mercy of God, rest in
peace.Amen.

May the peace of God which passes
all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit be amongst you and remain with you always.Amen.

About Me

Richard is a presbyter of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster with a number of responsibilities. He is Rector of Saint Faith's Anglican Church in Vancouver. Richard is also the Principal Consultant for Liturgy Pacific, a worship consultancy providing educational seminars and resources for congregational life and ministry. After 23 years as a member of the faculty of Vancouver School of Theology, Dr Leggett became Professor Emeritus of Liturgical Studies in 2010. Since 1989 Dr Leggett has served on various national committees of the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran churches in Canada and is a regular participant in the work of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation. From 2010 to 2016 he was a Member of the Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada.